After receiving the award from the Yang di-Pertua Negeri, Abdul Rahman said that he was grateful to the State government for the recognition given to his work throughout the years.

“I am truly honoured with the award and I see it as an encouragement to continue my work with the community, especially the B40 (lower-income) group,” he said when interviewed later.

He said that it was also a recognition given to USM for the efforts towards the betterment of the community, which is part of its mission as an APEX university.

Abdul Rahman, who heads the Research and Innovation Division at USM, is a Fellow at the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, and has been involved in numerous researches and networks, in addition to having high-impact publications in many reputable academic journals.

The annual celebration is organised by the Penang State Islamic Religious Council.